The Heart of a Gear
by Coreben
Summary: Elijah Shroud is Private in the COG army. He is nobody of importance or prestige yet in one day he will prove that even a lowly Gear has the heart of a champion, can overcome insurmountable odds, and earn a place among the Hall of Fame. (I am a Huge fan of Gears of War and wanted to write a story based in their world. I welcome all reviews positive or otherwise i want to learn)
1. Chapter 1

"The Ravens are ready to evac the last of the civilians, all Gears fall back to your rendezvous points and be ready for evac." Sounded command's voice through Ejijah's helmet communicator.

Elijah slotted a fresh magazine into his Lancer and opened fire over the pillar he had been using as cover. A Drone collapsed under his automatic fire and he quickly adjusted his aim take another another charging Drone when a Hammerburst round crunched into the concrete beside him. Elijah ducked low as another flew through the air over him. Several more passed over him before he stood again to return fire. They were in a stalemate which suited Elijah and his fellow Gears fine, they only needed to hold the Locust back for a few more minutes, soon they could evac and leave this damned place to them. Then came the crash of collapsing earth.

"E-hole!" shouted a Gear before a Grenadier ended him with a Gnasher blast.

Elijah turned to see a half-dozen Locust emerging from the ground. He reached for his Bolo, primed it, and threw it into the group. A moment later the grenade exploded shredding four of the newly emerged Locust and stunning the others. A cheer went through the Gears as the remaining two were gunned down beside their fallen comrades and their collapsed E-hole. It was cut short by another crash, this one bigger than the first, and then came a guttural voice.

"Boom!" It called.

In an instant two Gears were obliterated by a Boomshot explosion.

"Boomer!" cried Elijah's CO more as an order to focus than to alert anyone to the newcomer.

Elijah glanced down at his belt and realised what he had feared to be true. He was down to his last magazine.

"Fire at …" the CO tried to continue before both his sentence and body were cut short by another Boomshot explosion.

"Fall back!" called a frantic voice over the the still raging battle.

Elijah turned and ran to the end of the street bullets whizzing past him as he ducked around the corner. A glance back revealed a pair of Boomers lumbering behind the fleeing Gears, reloading their Boomshots for another volley. Elijah took aim and fired at them trying to buy the fleeing Gears some time. As the first couple of Gears rounded the corner his Lancer ran dry. He reloaded and took aim again. The Boomers had made no attempt to avoid his fire, each had a dozen bullet wounds, but Boomers while they were stupid but they made up for it with pure determination. Elijah opened fire again hoping to put down at least one before they fired again but he was to slow. Another Gear was killed by the first Boomshot round while the second round slammed into the wall Elijah was behind.

His head ached and his ears rang as he pulled himself clear of the rubble. What had he been doing again he thought to himself when he heard a murmur from behind him.

"Boom"

He turned to see the hulking form of a Boomer standing over him. It didn't look down instead it fired its Boomshot towards the still fleeing Gears. Elijah looked to see the round miss and released a breath he didn't notice he had been holding. The Boomer started reloading its Boomshot as Elijah looked around for his Lancer. He refused to let this brute kill anyone else but he saw his Lancer several meters away and cursed himself for letting it go when he had been tossed back. The Boomer had loaded its Boomshot and was readying to fire when Elijah remembered his sidearm and pulled his Snub pistol. He let out a shout as he pulled the trigger repeatedly each round thudding into the Boomers chest and head. It stood confused by the sudden discomfort before a round punctured it's thick skull and ended it's life at the same moment Elijah's Snub clicked empty. Elijah panted for a moment before noticing the falling body.

"Oh Shit!" he called out and scurried out of its path getting clear just as the huge sack of pure muscle crashed to the ground. Elijah got to his feet and looked around for his Lancer once more before looking to see the second Boomer fall under Lancer fire from two other Gears. Elijah limped over to them getting feeling back into his legs.

"What's the situation?" Elijah called to them as he retrieved his Lancer.

"E-holes popped up all through our defensive line, at least a third of our guys are dead; we need to get to the Evac they won't wait more than a few minutes after this shitstorm." Answered one of the pair.

With no further encouragement the trio ran through the streets until the Ravens were in sight.

"We made it!" called one of the other Gears.

Then came a gunshot and the Gear collapsed. Elijah spun to see the glint of a sniper scope in one of the buildings behind them. Elijah aimed his Lancer and opened fire on the window while backing towards the Ravens. He didn't stand much of a chance at that range but he hoped for force the sniper to stay in cover long enough for them to reach the Raven. His Lancer clicked empty only a moment later. Elijah quickly reached for another magazine on his belt. Finding none he turned and ran. There was a crunch in front of them as the ground gave way to another E-hole. Elijah kept running till he got close to the emerging Locust where he revved his chainsaw bayonet and drew it across the chest of one of the Locust Drones. He moved to another before the first had even hit the ground and after dismembering the second he took off at a sprint. Then came the gunshot. The pain. The fall.

He landed on the road. His mind dazed by the pain. He saw the Gear clamber into the Raven as it took to the air. They were in a rush. More so than he would have thought. The mounted chain gun could handle a few Locust Drones with ease. The he heard the crackled warning over his communicator.

"Hammer of Dawn free fire zone established. All Ravens fall back now!"

He was stunned, no longer by the wound but by the warning, a Hammer strike wasn't uncommon when things got tough but to designate a free fire zone meant it was far worse than he had imagined. He looked to the Raven to see it lifting off. They were leaving him.

Then came the light. The heat. The crashing. And the darkness.

Elijah's eyes opened to see blackness. Was this death. No. He shook his head confirming his hypothesis. There was far too much pain for that. He reached up and wiped his visor. As the dust cleared from the visor a dim light shone through. He pushed himself up and felt the stabbing pain in his shoulder. He remembered the gunshot and looked to see the blood. He sat up and checked the wound. A feeling of relief washed over him as he saw the wound wasn't life threatening at least for the moment. The bullet had ricochet off his armour and buried itself in the soft tissue missing any bones or major blood vessels it seemed. It was painful and he was exhausted but he knew he needed to find some first aid. He reached for his Lancer and attached it to the magnetic holster on his back. As he stood up he reached for his Snub again. Reloaded it and set out through the rubble.

The Hammer strikes had levelled everything as far as Elijah could see. If they had access to the Hammer of Dawn why hadn't they used in in the defence rather than destruction of the city. Elijah worked through the rubble it was slow work and exhausted him even further. Soon he was forced to stop and rest so he leaned against some of the rubble to get his bearings. It had been an unbearably long day and still there was so much to do. He saw it then. A couple hundred meters away. A crashed Raven. Its hull appeared to be mostly intact so it was possible that there might be supplies still intact. He pushed himself up once more and started through the rubble towards the downed Raven with a sense fresh sense of purpose, he might be in crap situation but he was going to make it. At least the Hammer strikes had eliminated the Locust in the area Elijah thought to himself instantly regretting it. A moment later he heard grunts and heavy breathing. His heart sank before the Bloodmount was even visible. Of course there would be Bloodmounts searching the rubble for survivors. Elijah cursed his luck and ducked behind another pile of rubble. He had two magazines for his Snub there was no way he could put down a Bloodmount and its rider with that. He snatched a look over the rubble. The Bloodmount was a dozen meters of so from the Raven. It hadn't seen him. He could turn back look for supplies elsewhere. But he knew his chances were slim. If they were here they would be everywhere possibly in greater numbers. He had to risk it. He sucked in a breath and darted forward to another pile of rubble then another. He was only a few meters from the Bloodmount when it turned. The rider couldn't have seen him. But it approached him none the less. It could smell him. Elijah cursed the creature. It wasn't sure among all the death but it would be proved right none the less. It was now or never. Elijah leapt to his feet and ran towards the Raven. The Bloodmount gave chase and its rider roared as it fired its Hammerburst. Elijah fired recklessly behind him emptying his Snub magazine once again. He heard several grunts at least one had landed successfully. He reached the Raven and hauled himself through a puncture in the hull. He looked around. They were all dead. The Gears, the Pilots, he turned away at first but quickly remembered why he was here.

He heard the Bloodmount slam against Hull in frustration. The rider appeared in the puncture Elijah himself had crawled through. It roared again and levelled its Hammerburst. But Elijah ducked into the cockpit and slotted his last magazine into his Snub. He looked back to see the rider clambering in. Elijah fired. Again and again. The rider never had time to react before his body was riddled with holes. The Bloodmount slammed against the hull again reminding Elijah of its presence. He reached for the Gnasher of one of the fallen Gears. Elijah readied himself before approaching the puncture and getting the Bloodmount in his sights. He fired again and again. Each blast tearing the Bloodmount apart more than the last until finally it fell to the ground. Elijah put the Gnasher aside and looked around for the familiar blue crate. The metal box was emblazoned with the COG saw one under the Gears and gingerly pulled it towards himself and opened it. It was fully stocked and Elijah praised his latest turn of fortune. He pulled out Lancer magazines and Snub magazines loading up both the weapons and his belt. He pulled out two Bolo grenades and lastly a Stim. Resting himself against the hull he reached for his wound and pressed into the wound to find the bullet. The pain was immense and his vision blurred but he found the bullet and eased it out of the wound. The wound wasn't overly deep which he was thankful for but needed the Stim all the same so he activated the Stim on his shoulder. There saw a tingling as the flesh knitted itself back together but soon it was over. Exhaustion washed over Elijah and he tried to fight it but failed. His eyes closed and he drifted off into sleep.

How long he had been out he didn't know but he was ready now. His shoulder was good as ever, his ammunition stores were replenished and he was ready to get out of this damned city. Now he only had to figure out how.


	2. Chapter 2

Elijah woke some hours later. The sky had gone dark, the moon and remaining embers the only sources of light, in the Raven Elijah's visor was barely able to pick up enough light to see by. He looked down to the empty Gnasher on the floor. He shrugged his shoulders as he reached for it and began loading shells from the now almost empty ammunition box. When he was finished he checked the Lancer on his back then his Snub and belt. With everything stable and loaded he walked to the puncture before stopping. He looked back at the Gears and the pilots. He saw the COG tags hanging on the closest neck. He walked back and reached for them. He hesitated. Then he took them. After collecting each set of tags he returned to the puncture with seven pairs of tags including his own.

Exiting the Raven he saw the devastation. It was dark but it almost enhanced the destruction. He saw the stars. There were no lights to fill the skyline and no building to block them out. He turned to take in the entire area. He saw the full night sky uninterrupted. Only days before it was a metropolis even after the Locust attacked the city still stood. It was riddled with holes of one kind or another but it still resembled what it once was now it was rubble. Miles of rubble. Elijah couldn't fathom how he hadn't been killed. He had been so exhausted he hadn't noticed the degree of the damage. He had to get out of the city. Find a Coalition outpost. The Locust wanted to kill so they likely wouldn't return in force to the ruins. But he wasn't alone. There wasn't time to waste. Then he remembered before the Hammer strikes. There were so many Gears who fell. He didn't fully understand why but he looked back down the rubble strewn street he had come from.

It took half an hour to find the body of the last Gear he saw fall. Anders was his name. It could just have easily been him it could have been him lying alongside this guy if the sniper had been slightly more accurate. He took the tags and added them around his neck. He turned then facing where he and the others had taken defensive positions only that morning. He remembered how many died. He had a lot of work before he felt he could leave. He started towards the Gears when he heard the grunts and murmurs from someone nearby. After ducking down beside a pile of fallen roofing tiles Elijah glanced over them and saw them, a group of Drones patrolling the bodies heading way from him. Elijah felt a hatred for them unlike he had felt before. He wasn't going to let them walk through his dead comrades. He ran forward to another pile, then another, he was half a dozen meters away. Elijah's heart raced in anticipation.

He ran at them. He raised his Gnasher and pulled the trigger. The shot slammed into the Drone's back. A moment later he slammed the Gnasher over its head knocking it to the ground. Reaching down he pulled the Drone up in front of him as a shield in time to stop the first Hammerburst round fired at him. He fired again this time catching the second Drone in the head killing it instantly. The other two Drones opened fire their bullets thudding into the meatshield that was growing heavier by the moment as it lost the will to live. Elijah managed to fire three shots at the closest, two hit it's chest and the third finished it with a headshot. The body slipped from Elijah's grasp as its legs failed to support it, leaving him exposed, he fired again. The shot caught its arm stunning it enough for Elijah to fire again from closer range. It fell to the ground still clinging to life. Elijah approached it and tossed the Gnasher aside. He wanted this to last. He kicked the Drone onto its back ending its desperate crawl. Elijah remembered all of the brutality the Locust had dealt on his fellow Gears as he knelt over the Drone. All of the Gears and civilians they had butchered since E-day. He let it out on this one Drone. He landed punch after punch. Again and again he punched until the remnants of the face no longer resembled even the ugliest of the Horde. He stood up from his handiwork.

A squad of Drones lay dead around him. His armour was splattered with gore and his fists slowly dripped with blood. He felt good. It scared him a little how good he felt after what he had done. It wasn't war or battle. But he remembered a common saying among the commanders of the COG.

"War is cruelty."

And that is certainly what he did here. So he felt no sympathy. He simply wiped his bloodied hands and took his Lancer off his back. He left the bloodied Locust to rot and went off in search of the Gears he had left behind earlier. He hoped they looked down upon him with pride, at his little slice of vengeance, but he had work to do so he didn't linger on it for long.

It took several further minutes to find the first body. He set about searching it but it became apparent the Gear was not wearing any tags. Frustrated he set about finding another body, but again the same problem, he searched a dozen more bodies with no success and he realised a possible reason. Then he heard gunfire. He ran towards it. Several hundred meters away he saw three Gears pinned down by a swarm of Locust. He ran towards them. A shot rang out above the others and one of the Gears fell. Elijah stopped and looked to the sound of the shot. A Sniper was positioned on the remains of a garage. He looked to the Gears seeing they were hopeless this from this range compared to the Sniper. The garage was only meters away while the Gears were well over a hundred. His choice came quick and he ran to the garage. He clambered onto one of the collapsing walls. The Sniper was oblivious to Elijah's intrusion and took another shot. Elijah carefully approached him readying his Lancer. He was only feet away when he revved the chainsaw bayonet. The Sniper froze momentarily before turning around. Elijah didn't give it time to call for help. He tore the chainsaw into its shoulder and through its chest exiting under the ribs on the other side. Blood spurted and sprayed all over Elijah's front and over the roof as it fell to its knees. Elijah pushed it aside and grabbed its Longshot. Setting his Lancer on his back he checked the Longshot was loaded. He knelt and took aim. The scope magnified the battle significantly and let him kill one of the Drones with a headshot with no trouble. He reached over to the still bleeding Locust Sniper and pulled its spare ammunition towards him. Taking a round and loading it he heard gurgling coming from the Sniper.

"Good" Elijah said to himself. He wanted it to suffer.

Again he took aim, another head shot, another Drone dropped with ease. He lined up his third shot when a bullet whizzed past him throwing off his aim. The Locust he hit was struck in the neck and managed to cry out before it was finished by Lancer fire from the other Gears.

"Bugger it!" Elijah cried out as several Locust split from the main group heading for him instead.

After reloading he managed to kill another as it ran towards him. They covered the distance between themselves and Elijah quickly. Elijah struggled with the next round as the rifle jammed. He managed to clear the chamber and reload but they were close now. He fired catching one in the shoulder and cursed. Again he reloaded and then fired managing to finish the job this time. Loading the last round into the rifle he looked for the last Drone. He checked left and right but there was no sign of it. Then a crash behind him. He spun to see the Drone stepping away from the edge which had broken away. Their eyes caught and the Drone fired. There was a thunk and Elijah threw himself aside. Elijah aimed and pulled the trigger to no avail. He saw the dent then. The Drones round had hit the Longshot crushing the internal mechanism.

He cursed loudly as he threw himself from the rooftop. He landed and rolled but the landing, still caused him substancial discomfort, not as bad as removing the bullet but undesireable none the less. He struggled to his feet pulling his Snub. The Drone reached the edge of the rooftop and looked down at Elijah. It readied its Hammerburst but Elijah was faster. He fired three times all of the bullets slamming into the Drone's chest it was knocked off balance and fell from the building. It hit hard and didn't move but Elijah fired twice at its head to be sure. He looked over at the Gears to see the fighting was over. The Gears victorious.

It took longer than expected to limp over to them. His fall slowly wore off as he walked.

"Hey are you ok?" He called to them.

"Well we're alive that's something" one of them called back.

Elijah reached them and saw two bodies lying beside the two survivors.

"I'm sorry about your friends"

"Yeah thanks. Are you all that's left of your squad or…?" the second inquired.

"It's just me. Private Elijah Shroud." Elijah answered extending his hand.

The closest took his hand and replied."

"Private Evan Turner and this is Private Michael Baird. Well met Elijah thanks for the assist."

Elijah waited as the two Gears said their goodbyes and took the COG tags from their fallen comrades.

"So it was you guys who gathered up all the tags?"

"Yeah" Evan replied grimly. "Figured we should gather them up so we can be sure they are remembered for what they sacrificed here. No knowing how long it will be before the Coalition has the manpower to send a recovery team for them."

"Well said" Elijah nodded.

Together they walked, not sure whether they were heading, further into or out of the city but they each wore the COG tags of six other Gears including their own. They walked in silence for a time before the Evan broke the silence.

"We were trapped you know. The Locust pushed us back into an underground parking garage. When the Hammer strikes hit it obliterated the Locust but the whole thing came down around us. We lost two guys in that place. It took us hours to work our way to the surface. Now we lost two more."

Elijah placed his hand on Evans shoulder.

"We must've made it through this for a reason. And when we find it we'll make them proud you'll see. Now let's stop for a quick rest you two look exhausted."


	3. Chapter 3

They managed to take shelter in the mostly levelled husk of a small store. It had started raining as they searched and by the time they found their shelter they were drenched through. Despite the cold and the hammering of rain Evan and Michael were asleep in minutes. Elijah had volunteered to take first watch but he had no intention of waking them. He had been asleep while they fought their way back to the surface. He sat against the counter facing the door with his Lancer resting on his lap. He listened to the rain. He felt the cold seeping through his skin. It reminded him of his training. He smiled at the thought.

_Two years earlier._

"Come on Elijah" Daniel shouted over the roar of the rain.

He reached back pulling on Elijah's armour. Elijah gritted his teeth and pumped his legs faster to keep pace with his friend. Rain bucketed down soaking them to the bone making it considerably harder to run on top of the heavy armour they were wearing. They were still in Basic Training and only just getting used to the considerable bulk of their armour. Training consisted primarily of Lancer and Snub practice at the range, endurance training on the track and close quarters combat in the gym. Six weeks of training to turn raw recruits into Gears ready for deployment. Nobody said it was enough but it was all they had time for. Gears were expected to learn from experience. But first they had to become Gears.

"Again!"

"I will… remain vigilant and unyielding in the pursuit of the enemies of the Coalition. I will… defend and maintain the order of life as proclaimed by the Allfathers of the Coalition in the Octus Ganon. I will forsake the life I had before so I may perform my duty as long as I am needed. Steadfast. I will… keep my place in the machine and acknowledge my place in the Coalition. I am a Gear." Elijah replied with all the determination he could manage.

"That was ok but you hesitated on the first two lines, you have to be able to say the oath without pause." Daniel chided back.

"I know Daniel I'm just…" Elijah paused for a ragged breath. "…exhausted, this armour is heavy and awkward to move let alone run in."

"Elijah you can't just make excuses. This armour might just save your life or at least keep you alive long enough for you to make it to a medic. Every Gear wears it. You just need to get used to it we've both seen them in the streets."

"Yeah I know Daniel, but today has been harder than most…"

"Yes it's been hard, it's cause you failed to complete course. A chain is only as strong as its weakest links remember."

It wasn't until an hour later that Daniel let them retire to the washroom. Elijah's legs were jelly and his arms were lead. Somehow Daniel had removed his armour boots, body piece and helmet and was heading into the shower before Elijah had even managed the first clasp. It took several minutes for Elijah to get into the shower by which time Daniel was heading out.

"Better quicken up by tomorrow Elijah or we're going to be spending a lot more time on the track." Daniel called back as he headed to the bunks.

The water burned his skin and he relished the feeling. It drew his attention away from his aching muscles. Daniel had been his best friend since their fathers fought and died together in the Pendulum Wars. They grew up together and when the time came were conscripted together. Daniel was the better Gear by a fair margin. Top of their class. Elijah hadn't adapted quite the same. He wasn't the only one to fail the course but Daniel, being as dedicated as he was, was determined to have Elijah standing beside him at the top. Drying himself he looked out over the track. It was still bucketing with rain. He hadn't been excited about the workout let alone in the rain but now it was over. He just had to pass the course and this would all end.

It didn't end though. It had been almost a week before he managed to beat the course for the first time. But it wasn't enough for Daniel. He made him keep up the training. Each time he managed a better score. Together they clocked hours on the range with both Lancers and Snubs. They trained their grenade throws and fought countless close quarter's duels. Daniel kept pushing him each day to get better. Elijah was never able to best Daniel but they drew on occasion which was fine by him.

Two weeks had passed since the first time he had beaten the course now Elijah was back at the start. When the order came he raised his Lancer and took a running start. The course started with simple manoeuvres over and around waist high barriers. Then came the first of the targets. He fired in bursts and the targets fell. There was a gunshot from above and Elijah looked up to see sentry turret. It had loaded with rubber rounds so wasn't lethal but was to be avoided none the less. He ducked and ran. Cover to cover as shots rained down around him. He glanced up again and saw the target beside the sentry. He fired a quick burst knocking out the target causing the sentry to power down. Then came the ladder climb. With one hand holding his Lancer he used the other to clamber up the ladder. He reached the top to find two targets waiting for him. Again he hit them both he hesitated for a moment to reload before. Running again down the stretch he looked left and right making sure he didn't miss any targets. He heard the crash simulating an E-hole springing up and quickly pulled his training Bolo grenade and tossed it towards the noise. There was a there was a distinct ding signalling he had closed the "hole" He ran on then the end of the course only a sprint away. Then targets sprang up in front of him. He moved to fire but his weapon clicked. He ducked into an alcove to the side taking cover. Had he forgotten to reload? No he was sure he had after the ladder targets. He checked his belt. He had. Then it dawned on him. A simulated jam caused by a mechanism added to the training Lancers. It was something the commanders threw in at random to throw recruits off and check their reactions. He grinned as he locked his Lancer on his back and drew his Snub. His aim was perfectly hitting each of the targets square letting him run on the finish undetered. As he crossed the line Daniel walked up and pulled him into a hug clapping him on the back.

"Nice run Elijah." He said with a great grin on his face.

"So it was a good time?"

"It really was. Fifth in the class! Maybe if we had a few more weeks you might match my time." Daniel laughed.

Elijah didn't care about beating Daniel's time. He was just happy that his friend was proud of him. Then it occurred to him. It was the last time he would run the course. Tomorrow was graduation. The last day of basic training. Tomorrow they would become Gears. Excitement was in the air but they had been pushed especially hard over the last week. Elijah and Daniel decided to reward themselves with an early night instead of another gruelling run. Elijah relished the bunk as he lay there thinking about what was to come. Him and Daniel together fighting back the Locust, they had been raised in a society that encouraged them to do their duty for the Coalition but Elijah never thought of it like that. He saw it as an opportunity to protect his mother, his sister and his little brother and on top of it all to do it with his best friend.

Over the last few weeks since they had been issued the armour they had accumulated dirt and grime along with scratches and this day would be one of the most important days of their lives so they all spent hours going over every inch of their getting them in perfect shape. They knew it wasn't going to last once they were deployed but it was a matter of principle. When they assembled at mid-day. They all stood impeccable in their Coalition helmets, body armour and boots all in perfect shape. They all stood in front of a stage upon which stood their High Commander.

"Congratulations Recruits. As we all know the day has come where you will no longer be called as such. All of you have as of now completed Basic Training. Up until this day you have worked hard, and through your sweat and blood you have been hardened. Today you honour not only honour your families, but also the very Coalition that has raised you and generations before you. Today you become the Gears you have all worked so hard to become. There is but a single step remaining to solidify your position as Gears of the Coalition." He paused.

The mass of recruits stood motionless a mass of blue and grey. Each held a Lancer that had been issued to them that morning as replacements for their training versions. Today they became true Gears and needed appropriate equipment. They stood with their new Lancers crossing their chests awaiting the word to begin the oath.

"Begin." He continued.

"I will remain vigilant and unyielding in pursuit of the enemies of the Coalition. I will defend and maintain the order of life as proclaimed by the Allfathers of the Coalition in the Octus Ganon. I will forsake the life I had before so I may perform my duty as long as I am needed. Steadfast. I will keep my place in the machine and acknowledge my place in the Coalition. I am a Gear." Elijah chanted with his fellow recruits.

"Now my fellow Gears your days as a civilian are over. Your days as a Recruit behind you. Tonight you celebrate your graduation but I expect you all to be ready for assignment tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

_Present day._

Elijah smiled as he tried to remember the rest of that day entailed but apart from an overabundance of liquor it was a blur of excitement. They may have been conscripted but he and Daniel always said they would have enlisted if given the opportunity. The memories of Basic Training stuck with him through the night. There were its difficult times but there were also good times and he didn't regret a moment of it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was several hours before the sunlight broke the horizon. It was some time after that when Elijah heard a crash outside. It wasn't the sound of an E-hole but the sound instilled him with more dread than he had felt in weeks. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking violently. He clenched and unclenched them several times before picking up his Lancer. He looked over at his sleeping companions.

"Wake up" He ordered in a hushed tone.

Michael was the first to wake and was on his feet Lancer in hand only moments later. Elijah hadn't noticed the day before but Michael was visibly older either Evan or himself. Elijah had been conscripted at sixteen like all other boys his age. The Coalition was desperate for troops now they had been conscripting younger and older men than they would have even during the Pendulum Wars. Michael must have been caught on the opposite end of the spectrum. But he wore his age well none the less, he didn't struggle under his armour and he was quick to react as he had just demonstrated. Evan was slower and showed obvious strain especially in his arms. Elijah recalled what Evan had said about being trapped underground. Elijah cringed at the thought of how difficult it must have been on him to dig them out. The crashes had continued throughout Elijah's reflection and they were getting louder.

"What the hell is that?" Evan whispered.

"Have either of you ever seen a Brumak in the flesh?" Elijah asked grimly.

"A Brumak, what the hell is a Brumak doing here after the city has been levelled. I didn't hear about any here during the attack." Michael added.

They hid out of sight from the street and watched the behemoth pass by the storefront. Nobody spoke until the Brumak had moved well out of sight.

"We need to follow it" Elijah said as he stood up facing the doorway.

The determination in his own voice shocked him, but the silence of his companions didn't.

"What… why the hell… are you insane?" Evan spluttered.

"You know what that thing is capable of, the Locust Horde might be vast but they don't just send one of those out to scour the ruins of a city like this."

"You have a point but we don't have the firepower to bring down something like that." Michael added matter of factly.

"I'm not saying we kill it. I'm not even saying we attack it. I'm just saying we need to follow it work out what it's doing here. Now are you with me?"

They looked at each other. Elijah turned towards the doorway hearing the crashing footsteps of the Brumak disappearing into the distance. He looked back at the other two Gears.

"It's now or never"

With that he opened the door and ran after the Brumak. He would have preferred to take a more stealthy approach but he had no time. His boots pounded against the concrete. They weren't designed to be stealthy or even nimble at that so each step caused a loud crunch. His legs pumped. His Lancer held tightly and he looked around for the Brumak. He worried he had lost it in the dust and rubble. He couldn't believe he had lost a fifty foot tall war machine in the ruins of a city. Then he heard a voice behind him.

"Elijah!"

Elijah turned to see Evan and Michael running up to him.

"It turned right up here. See" Evan said as he pointed out a fresh pile of rubble that still had concrete dust drifting up from it revealing to be recent. Elijah turned into the rubble filled road with Evan and Michael flanking him.

"What changed your mind?"

"You made a good point. They wouldn't send a Brumak here without good reason." Evan replied.

Elijah smiled. He was glad they had trusted him. But the happiness dropped out of him like a stone. They all stopped. Ahead of them the ground had collapsed into a gigantic sink hole. It was riddled with E-holes both small and large. It swarmed with Locust troops of all kinds ranging from Boomers and Kantus' to Drones and Bloodmounts all patrolling the sunken area and surrounding area. There in the middle of the sinkhole hundreds of Seeders had assembled. Elijah's vision was diverted to the sky where thousands of Nemacysts flew filling the sky with ink.

"What is this place?" Evan asked.

"Looks almost like a staging area or…" Michael paused.

"Or what?" Elijah insisted.

"I heard they try block out the sun with that ink. Let's the Kryll out during the day. Kryllstorm they call it."

"But this city is lost why start now?"

"Think about where we are. We are right smack-dab in the middle of the Coalition. That's more Seeders in one place than I've ever even heard of. They must be trying to ink up the whole area."

"So they attacked so we would be forced to abandon the city and they could set this up?" Evan asked the fear evident in his voice.

"How long will it take to spread to the other cities?" Elijah asked quietly.

"That's not the point. It could take days to spread enough to endanger any other major cities. But at this rate there will be nothing we can do about it. The only weapon we have that could possibly stop this is the Hammer of Dawn and that ink will make it impossible for it to target." Daniel replied in an equally defeated tone.

"We need to contact Command. Have them call in some strikes. They won't be looking here till it's too late."

"Look at those Seeders Elijah!" Daniel shouted. "We can't contact Command unless we get out of the city. And by then who knows how thick it will be."

"So what do you recommend we just accept it? No! We go and get us a designator and bring the Hammer down on those Seeders." Elijah spat.

"You really think a designator will be enough? Elijah there is hundreds of Seeders down there. Even if you were able to paint a target through that ink do you really think one satellite will be enough?"

"Then we get a beacon" Evan added calmly.

Both Elijah and Daniel looked at him.

"A beacon doesn't need direct line of sight it can interact with multiple satellites."

Elijah looked back at Daniel.

"He's right. They used to use beacon's with conventional warheads and with some modification they allowed multiple satellites to pin-point a target in the field without need for multipile target designators or a command center." Daniel nods as he explains.

"So we have a plan then, we get one of those beacons, and send all them Seeders to Hell." Elijah smiled at them.

They didn't seem as sure about it as Elijah but they seemed accept it as their only option.

"Well then let's move out and…"

A sudden burst of gunfire tore through the air. Locust war cries sounded from behind Elijah. He turned to see two dozen Drones charging them. The Gears scrambled to take cover and attempted to return fire but the Locust far outnumbered them and they were forced to retreat into the remains of a warehouse. Elijah made it to cover first and stepped out to cover the others with a burst of Lancer fire. A Hammerburst round crashed into the side of Elijah-s body armour glancing off without puncturing but the hit knocked him to the side. He ducked into cover before another Drone improved their aim.

"There's too many of them!" Michael shouted over the gunfire.

"Hold the line! We can't let them flank us!" Elijah shouted back.

They took aim and let loose bursts of fire in intervals to try hold back the wave of Locust without getting hit in the process.

Elijah's Lancer clicked dry. Ducking again behind cover he reloaded.

"Grind!" Called a deep voice.

There was a whirring followed by chunks of concrete being torn apart around Elijah and his fellow Gears.

"Damnit a Grinder! This cover isn't going to hold much longer!" Evan shouted over the gunfire his voice almost lost in the whir of the Mulcher.

Elijah reached for his belt. Bolo in hand he called out to the others.

"Draw its fire I'll try take it out!"

Hesitantly Evan stood up from cover and opened fire. It wasn't long before the Grinder focused its fire enough for Elijah to get a clear moment to throw his Bolo. It embedded in the Grinders shoulder and with a great blast tore through its arm and chest. The wound forced it to its knees. The Gears took their chance and concentrated fire on the injured Grinder. Its meaty flesh only protected it for so long and it soon succumbed to its grievous injuries. However the Gears victory was short lived as a half dozen Drones poured in through the entranceway to take the Grinders place.

"I'm empty!" Evan called.

Elijah reached to his belt and grabbed one of his few remaining magazines.

"Make it count!" He shouted back as he tossed the magazine.

They returned fire once again but were quickly forced to take cover.

"They have the upper hand we need a new plan we can't hold out much longer! They'll overrun us!" Michael shouted as another whirring sound filled the air.

Elijah reached for another Bolo as the Mulcher started firing. He stood ready to throw only to see the Mulcher rounds tearing through the Locust Drones instead of his companions cover as he had been expecting. He looked up to see the Mulcher was firing from above them on a catwalk around the second level. Behind the Mulcher was a Gear. He looked back down at the Locust to see the last Drone be torn apart by the large calibre rounds. The whirring slowed to a stop and the Gear stood and walked towards the stairs leading down to the ground floor. Elijah, Evan and Michael stood in silence as the newcomer approached them. As he approached them he inspected his Mulcher, his massive frame handling the weapon with ease. He paused in front of them. Elijah glanced at the shredded corpses near the entranceway.

"I don't even know how to thank you. We were done for." Elijah stumbled as he tried to comprehend how close they had come to being completely overrun.

The newcomer laughed. It echoed through the warehouse putting Elijah and the others on edge.

"It was just an assist you would have done the same for me. Though, I probably wouldn't need it with this at my side." He laughed again before clapping his arm around Elijah's back.

"Well thanks for the assist then." Michael said interrupting the embrace.

The man released Elijah and walked over the the corpse of the Grinder.

"I'm Elijah and this is Michael and that's Evan." Elijah said with a smile.

The newcomer didn't reply straight away instead transferred the Mulcher rounds from the corpse's to his own. Holding out one of his massive hands he introduced himself.

"Private Armadus, but my friends call me Butch."

"Nice to meet you Butch I'm hoping you've seen what's going on here."

Butch's tone turned serious for the first time as he nodded.

"Yeah there's Seeders. 'undreds of 'em."

"Then you know what has to be done?"

Butch nodded.

"Whatever you need Elijah, I'm 'ere to help.


	5. Chapter 5

Together Elijah and his fellow Gears turned their backs on the assembled Seeders and started running to the edge of the city.

"We need to get as much distance between us and them as possible so we can contact Command and brief them on the situation."

"No complaints here Elijah." Evan nodded.

It took several hours to navigate through the ruins of the city to its outskirts where the Gears comm's spluttered into life.

"Command, command do you read? This is Private Elijah Shroud I am with a three other surviving Gears in Timgurd. We are on the outskirts and required immediate assistance. We have located a major Locust fortification and require a Beacon to call in a Hammer Strike on its position. Do you read?"

There was static for several moments.

"Private this is Command. Did you say you are with three other survivors in Timgurd?"

"Roger that Command four including myself."

"What is this you say about a Locust fortification in Timgurd? Didn't the Hammer Strikes level that entire area?"

"It's in a sinkhole Command. They have hundreds of Seeders inking the sky, if we don't stop them now who knows how far it might spread."

"I hear you Private do you have any way of confirming this."

"You'll see a massive portion of the central district inked already but other than that no."

There was a pause.

"We have a KR unit readying to come and exfiltrate you."

"Command you don't understand we don't have time for exfiltration. We need that Beacon here ASAP! I don't know if we will get another shot at this."

Another pause reigned over the comm's.

"I'll run this by the higher ups. See if we can get you that Beacon."

Elijah turned back at the others his expression grim.

"They say they will look into it and try getting us a Beacon."

"Try!" Michael boomed. "What the hell are we supposed to do while they look into it?"

"Cool it Michael. We'll just have to chill here for a bit." Evan said calmly.

"Your friend's right. All we can do is wait." Butch added as he sat.

Evan, Butch and Elijah tried to keep the situation calm but Michael paced back and forth. Several minutes passed before Elijah too felt the discomfort and several more before he again spoke to Control.

"How's that Beacon coming along?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Hello, Command?"

"We've managed to get you authorization but locating the Beacon has been more difficult."

"But you have one?"

"Yes, but it's an hour away from you by Raven. So we are sending a KR your way via the Beacon. Sit tight."

Elijah took a moment to take it in before turning to face his fellow Gears with a pained expression.

"Good news and bad news guys."

The others visibly winced even with their full armour on.

"Good news, we have a Beacon on the way. Bad news, it's over an hour till it gets here. "

There was a collective groan. Elijah sympathised, they had no idea how well the Locust might have organised already let alone giving then even more time. On top of that Elijah had no interest in waiting around to be ambushed. But they had no choice. So they waited. The sat in silence again, barring the occasional clicks as someone checked their weapon. Soon it grew to be too much for Elijah.

"Weapons check. What have we got ammo wise?"

Elijah pulled his two spare Lancer magazines and four Snub magazines then placed them in the middle of everyone. Michael added another Lancer magazine while Evan pulled a Snub magazine. They turned to Butch and were taken back when he more than doubled the number of magazines in the middle.

"I 'ad just raided an ammo catch before finding you lot." He said with his typical enthusiasm.

"Well we are in the same city as a massive Locust staging area with only four men. At least we aren't overly short of ammunition." Elijah joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The others didn't seem overly impressed but shared out the ammunition regardless with Butch only took a spare magazine for his Lancer and another for his Snub. When Elijah looked at him he explained simply saying.

"I've got me Mulcher, you guys take 'em."

Nobody argued and soon they were back to waiting in silence. A half hour passed before a troubling thought occurred to Elijah. The city was being patrolled by the Locust. They had evaded several patrols on the way to where they now waited. But since then not a single patrol. They might be on the outskirts perhaps the Locust didn't want to stretch their resources to much. But then there was the alternative. His eyes darted across the ruins. Butch was the first to notice his discomfort.

"What's wrong Elijah?"

"Don't you think it's a little odd that we haven't seen any Locust patrols since we got here?" Elijah replied in a hushed tone.

"Not particularly, we are ages away from their staging area." Evan shrugged.

The tension was almost palpable now. It was broken several minutes later when Elijah's fears were confirmed. A shot rang out and all the Gears hit the ground. More rounds whistled overhead as Elijah and the others crawled to cover. Michael was the first to return fire but was quickly suppressed by the overwhelming number of Locust. Elijah took cover and blind-fired over the rubble. It wasn't until Butch reached cover and was able to unleash the fury of his Mulcher that the Locust halted their relentless fire. The others were quick to make the most of the opening adding Lancer fire to the Mulcher's fury. Elijah had high hopes for being able to repel the ambush when he heard battle cries from behind him. He turned to see a group of Grenadiers charging his position. He renewed fire this time at the Grenadiers. His Lancer clicked dry and he reloaded in a hurry. The Grenadiers had made the most of the opportunity covered the ground between themselves and Elijah. One leaped the rubble barrier Elijah was behind kicking him to the ground in the process. It readied its Gnasher and Elijah readied himself for the inevitable blast that would end his life. This wasn't how he had hoped to die. He thought of his brother Jonathan and sister Mary. He thought of his mother knowing the grief she would feel after seeing her go through it after his father's death. Then came the shot.

Elijah was confused at first when he felt no pain. He opened his eyes half expecting to see his father smiling upon him. Instead he saw the Grenadier slumped against the rubble with a half dozen large holes in its torso. Elijah's eyes travelled to its face seeing the two additional holes in its head.

"Get up Elijah! No time for napping." Came Evans humorous tone.

Elijah looked to see Evan holding out one hand to him, his other holding a Snub. Elijah reached up and took it.

"Thanks for the save."

"Assist."

"No man you saved my ass I would have been done no question."

"Well then we're even then, let's get back in the fight." Evan said gesturing to Butch and Michael still holding the line.

Elijah took up position again and renewed fire. They managed to hold the Drones back simple enough but then they saw the intimidating form of a Mauler.

"Concentrate fire on its legs!" Butch yelled as his Mulcher stopped whirring.

He dropped the empty weapon and pulled his Lancer taking position with the others. Elijah reached for his Bolo and tossed it beside the Mauler. There was a boom and the Mauler stumbled to the side dropping its shield. The four Gears were quick to finish the wounded Mauler but were unable to celebrate as a pair of Grinders walked into view. Their war cries were followed by whirring and the Gears were forced to take cover. Rounds tore through the air and slammed into the rubble around the Gears.

"How many mags have you got left?" Elijah yelled over the gunfire.

"Last ones loaded" Evan shouted back.

"I'm out!" Michael shouted in return.

"I'm down to my last as well" Butch added cementing Elijah's suspicion.

Elijah took his last spare magazine and tossed it to Michael.

"Last mags people! Make 'em count!"

They spread out further and popped up one at a time firing only a burst at a time. Elijah cursed as his Lancer ran dry again. He set it on his back pulling his Snub and waited for an opening. There was a sudden roar in the sky audible over the gunfire and more whirring filled the air. Elijah aimed over the rubble to see Locust being tore apart by gunfire from the sky. He looked up and saw two King Ravens Gunships flanking a standard King Raven transport. The trios forward mounted chain guns tore through the Locust leaving them bloodied messes. It only took moments for the trio to level the attacking Locust leaving no survivors.

Elijah stood and cheered; the other Gears not far behind, the transport came to a land in front of them but kept its rotor running as the gunships circled overhead. Michael was first to the Raven with Elijah close behind.

"What's the situation I didn't think we would get this kind of support?" Elijah yelled over the roar of the rotor.

There was an officer standing alone in the rear of the Raven who answered.

"The situation has been confirmed by satellite images but it's worse than we thought. The skies over all of downtown are completely inked we can't get a view of the ground what so ever. This Beacon is our only hope of getting a successful Hammer strike." He said tapping his hand on the floating bot beside him.

As Butch climbed aboard the Raven took to the skies again flanked by the Gunships.

"You do realise that the skies are full of Nemacysts don't you?" Elijah inquired.

Michael, Evan and Butch all nodded in agreement.

"We are well aware of that but we need to get there ASAP the Hammer coverage will move into position in around twenty minutes that's our window if we wait any longer we are going to need a full frontal assault to penetrate their defences."

Elijah looked out at the inked skies that had come into view. Any minute the Locust would notice them.

"So we just need to get in there drop the Beacon and get out." Michael summeriesed.

The officer nodded his agreement.

"We just need to get close the Beacon will cloak and we're done."

"Sounds easy en…" Evan started before the rest was drowned out by gunfire.

Elijah looked again to see they were under the inked sky. The two Gunships had taken position and were letting loose a barrage of missiles on the nearest Seeders as they moved to launch Nemacysts. Chain guns whirred from all three King Ravens as they targeted Nemacysts that moved in to retaliate. Elijah saw the sinkhole closing in they were almost there. There was a crash followed by another and then another. Elijah' heart raced and he looked to see one of the Gunships falling from the sky. There was loud explosion from the other side and Elijah didn't have to see to know what had happened. Then came another crash and he was thrown to the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

_8 months earlier._

I Elijah opened his eyes. His body ached and dust swarmed through the air.

"Elijah are you ok?" called a worried voice.

Elijah groaned as he pushed himself upright.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now get your lazy ass up so we can get this done." The voice called again the concern gone from it.

Elijah looked over to see Daniel standing in his full COG armour holding his Lancer at the ready. Elijah smiled to himself glad his helmet hid his amusement from his friend. He had always known Daniel would make a great Gear. They had been together ever since Basic training and unsurprisingly Daniel had been made a Corporal in a matter of weeks. Now little over a year since their graduation Daniel was a Sergeant while Elijah carried on as a meagre Private. Elijah grabbed his fallen Lancer and turned back to his friend. He wasn't jealous of his friends rank. Daniel was responsible for their entire squad, successes and failures, he was born to be a great Gear and he had achieved it.

"Stop daydreaming Private we have a job to do!" Daniel ordered a tone of jest evident in his voice.

"Sir, yes Sir!" Elijah said as he saluted.

He headed of towards the stairs in a march.

"Cut the crap Elijah we got a job to do." Daniel laughed, as Elijah passed by him.

Elijah stopped marching and walked beside Daniel down the hallway.

"You sure you're ok Elijah? You took quite a fall."

"Yeah I'll live im just happy it was only the one floor that gave way."

Elijah glanced back at the hole in the ceiling. They were heading to collect some civilians when the floor had given way below him, its integrity weakened by conflict that had raged throughout the city around it. Together the proceeded up the stairs till they reached where Elijah had fallen.

"How's our boy Sarge?" called a voice from further down the hallway.

"Twinkle toes here just went for a bit of a detour ain't that right Twinkle toes.

Elijah's face was red and again he was thankful for his helmet.

"You found them yet Ace?" Daniel asked not waiting for Elijah to think up a comeback.

"Allen is up ahead with them."

"Where's Mac?"

"Must be Seeders about cause he can't get a clear signal to call in the Evac so he started towards the roof hoping to get the message through."

"Fair enough. Take us to the civilians then head up after him I don't like the idea of him being alone."

"No problem Sarge."

Elijah walked behind them as they discussed strategy. When they reached the civilians where Ace left them and headed towards the roof.

"What's the situation?" Daniel announced as he walked through the doorway.

"We got two women, three kids and this guy." Allen answered while pointing to the man in front of him.

Elijah looked at them, all covered in dust and grime, they must have been here throughout all the fighting. They must've been through hell.

"I'm Sergeant Daniel Steward and this is Private Elijah Shroud."

The man nodded.

"Jason. This is my wife Marie, our daughter Janice, that's Clara and her kids Becky and Aaron."

"What's the plan Sarge?"

"We wait for Ace and Mac to get back and find out where to rendezvous with the Evac."

There was a thumping of feet behind them and Elijah turned to the door Lancer raised.

"No need to go shooting us Twinkle toes we come bearing good news." Ace laughed his hands raised in mock surrender.

"Spit it out then." Daniel ordered.

"The King Raven is on route and another squad is moving in on a Seeder's position which should clear the airways."

"Ok then we'll get to the streets and organise rendezvous the…"

Daniel was interrupted by a sudden crash from below them.

"Damnit E-hole, must be, we need to move now before they secure the ground floor."

The Gears were ready in moments but the Civilians went about collecting a last few bits of their remaining belongings.

"No time for that now take what you have we need to go." Daniel ordered again.

Elijah recalled when Daniel had first become a Sergeant. At first he was much more lenient at least until they lost Charlie. That had hit Daniel harder than Elijah. Neither of them knew Charlie all that well but Daniel took it to heart and became stricter where it counted. He was a good guy to serve with, he was still his friend.

"Elijah your cover the rear, Allen and Mac you take the sides, Ace you're with me on point. Let's move people!"

Together they moved into formation with the civilians in the center. They walked as fast as the children could keep up. Elijah questioned internally whether or not carrying them would be better but decided they Daniel knew best. There was a war cry only moments later.

"Ground walkers!"

"Grenadiers incoming!" Daniel announced.

Two Grenadiers charged down the hallway Gnashers raised but only made it half half the distance between them when they were cut down by Lancer fire.

"Keep moving!"

They continued as fast as they could until the boy tripped and fell. Elijah walked up to him and hoisted him onto his back while Allen and Mac did the same with he others. Elijah remembered how much he strained in Basic training to operate in the COG armour but now he was used to it, just as Daniel had always said. They started again down the hallway while Jason thanked them profusely and both Marie and Clara tried to keep the children calm so not to hinder the Gears further.

They reached the second floor before encountering anymore Locust but there they found the E-hole in the lobby below them with several dozen Locust troops pouring forth from its depths.

"Quiet we can't take all of them like this." Daniel whispered back.

"Humans!" called a gruff Locust voice.

"Damnit, to the wall, run!" Daniel shouted as he tossed a Bolo into the now ready horde of Locust.

The Gears took off with Ace on point. He sprinted ahead and revved his chainsaw bayonet.

There was a boom behind them as Daniel's Bolo tore through several Locust Drones, which was followed by Lancer fire as he let loose on the approaching horde. There was a tearing sound from ahead as Ace tore through the wall with the Lancer's chainsaw. It took several moments before finally he had cut a large hole in the wall and clambered through. One by one they clambered down to meet him until finally Daniel came through.

"Frag it!" Daniel screamed over the cacophony of gunfire just as a Grenadier fired through the hole catching Ace in the shoulder.

Allen was fastest to react and in a matter of seconds the wall turned into a red splattered ruin. Daniel ducked beside Ace.

"You ok, how's the wound?"

"I'm fine Sarge the armour took most of it."

They got to their feet and stood by the others while the civilians caught their breath.

"Have you been able to contact the Raven yet Mac?"

"Nope the Squad mustn't have reached the Seeder yet."

"Well then we find a good place for it to land and…"

Daniel was cut off by an inhuman groaning behind them.

"What was that?

They all turned to see the building leaning towards them.

"Run!" Daniel shouted as though he was the only one who saw what was happening.

Together they ran scooping up the children as they went. There was a crack and the last of the supports gave way. They ran as fast as their bodies were able, the civilians only just managing to keep pace with then Gears, then came the crash as the building fell. Air rushed past them and the ground shook almost knocking them down to meet it. Elijah spun to see the building's rubble rested only meters behind them.

"Hell that was close." Mac said voicing all of their thoughts.

"That's going to draw a lot of attention we have to keep moving."

Then came the first explosion. It knocked Allen to the ground. Elijah looked up and saw the Reaver that had fired the rocket.

"Reaver!" he shouted as everyone scrambled to get to cover.

"We need to cross the river this side of the city is infested."

Another explosion sounded. Then the Reaver passed overhead to circle around.

"Move!"

They took off running again. The Reavers second run was no more successful so it landed ahead of them and blocked their path. Mac took charge sprinting ahead and ducking between its legs before tossing a Bolo up at its belly. The Gears stopped to open fire with their Lancers as the Bolo exploded and it only took a dozen more rounds to push it over the cusp of death. Finally they could see the bridge but the untrained civilians were out of steam and could no longer keep up the pace. There was a crunch as a section of road gave way. From the opening poured forth more Locust drones this time flanked by two Grinders.

"Sarge there isn't any cover on that side of the bridge!" Allen announced

"KR Seven-One we need evac on the north side of the Mariposa Bridge ASAP!" Mac pleaded with the static filled comm.

They all took cover firing blindly at the oncoming horde.

"KR Seven-One … "Mac started again when a whirring filled the air.

Elijah looked to see a King Raven emerge over the building behind them its forward mounted guns tearing through the Locust. It angles towards the other side of the bridge.

"The message must've gotten through!" Mac announced triumphantly.

They stood and prepared to run when Daniel gripped Elijah's wrist.

"You take point Elijah make sure everyone gets on the chopper we'll cover you."

Elijah nodded and took the lead. The civilians ran up the middle with Allen and Mac on either side both Ace and Daniel covering the rear. They charged out onto the bridge as the Raven landed in front of them. Elijah was first on board and he helped the civilians one by one on as well. Next came Mac and Allen. There was an explosion on the bridge and it shook violently before collapsing into the river. Finally Ace clambered aboard and shouted for the pilots to take off.

"Wait. Where's Daniel?" Elijah shouted as he grabbed Ace.

"There is a Seeder on the other side of the bridge." Ace said glumly before demanding the pilots take off insisting it's what Daniel wanted.

This time they listened without as much hesitation.

"We will land on the other side and pick him up!" Elijah demanded.

"The resistance is too heavy we need to go Elijah." Ace replied.

"We can't leave him!" Elijah shouted clenching his fists so hard they hurt..

They passed back over the bridge and he looked down to see Daniel in the thick of battle. He stood firing into the overwhelming horde. Elijah jumped onto the side mounted chaingun, pushing the gunner aside, and opened fire on the horde. Daniel emptied his Lancer, his fellow Gears looked down on him unable to help, before charging the Seeder that was now visible among the Locust. He charged firing his Snub at several Locust before it to emptied and he cracked it over a Drones head. Elijah was yelling as he gunned down Locust after Locust, no matter how many he killed they continued to fill the street and close in on his friend. Daniel tossed his remaining Bolo into the Seeders open maw as it launched a Nemacyst into the sky, then he turned away from it and drew his empty Lancer. He revved the chainsaw bayonet as the Locust sparmed towards him and Elijah's eyes filled with tears. Then he disappeared in a swarm of Drones. Several inhuman cries filled the air as blood spurted from the swarm. Drones were torn apart by Daniel's Lancer for a moment more then the Bolo exploded bursting the Seeder like a grape. The revving stopped and Elijah collapsed to the bulkhead and wept as the King Raven carried them to safety with the knowledge none of them would ever see their Sergeant, their friend, again.


	7. Chapter 7

Elijah opened his eyes. He was back in the Raven. They had been hit. The beacon he remembered it all. But none of it was the reason why tears were in his eyes. That day he lost a part of himself. Daniel had cut his way through almost a dozen Drones when he had finally succumbed to their beatings and fallen out of sight. He died that day to save six civilians, Elijah, the rest of his squad and the King Raven crew. A great Gear died that day. Elijah pushed his memories aside and crawled to the Beacon. It laid there a husk.

"Damnit!" He shouted.

There was movement behind him as the rest of the Raven's passengers awoke.

"The Beacon is toast."

"No it can't be we didn't come all this way for nothing god damn it." Evan demanded as he stumbled over to the Beacon and set about tinkering with its access panel.

Elijah checked on everyone as Evan cotinued to work away at the Beacon. Apart from scrapes and bruises everyone was fine unless of course they took into account that they would likely be swarmed any moment by the surrounding Locust.

"There!" Evan exclaimed.

Elijah turned to see the Beacon flicker to life.

"You did it!"

"Now just set it to cloak and send it on its way while we trek out of this shit hole hopefully without dying." Michael said with determination.

Evan went back to tinkering. After several moments he let out a defeated groan.

"We have a problem."

"What?"

"It can still send the signal but its hover capabilities are almost gone and …"

"And what?"

"It's cloaking systems are completely shot."

Everyone went silent. Several moments passed before Elijah spoke.

"Are we close enough to get a clear shot?"

One of the pilots shook his head.

"We would need to get is at least a couple hundred meters further in for a bare minimum."

Nobody else spoke for a time.

"Fine." Elijah stated simply.

He grabbed the Beacon and pulled it to him. It hovered there.

"Elijah it won't fly there it's hover systems and navigation are shot as well it just barely hovers in one spot." Evan explained.

"That's more than we need." He answered as he opened the ammunition crate housed in the Raven.

He loaded himself up again being sure to leave enough for the others before walking out of the Raven the Beacon in tow.

"Elijah what are you doing?" Michael called after him.

"I'm going to take this damn Beacon where it needs to be and have that Hammer Strike right down on these damn Seeders sending them right to hell."

"When they see that Beacon they will destroy it."

"They will have to go through me first, how long till the Hammer Strike is ready?"

"Eleven minutes"

"Thank you for your help everyone" Elijah nodded at them.

It had come full circle. Daniel had died then to save fifteen people from one Seeder. Today he would die to save who knows how many, at least as many as Daniel had. He would be proud.

It was several minutes of the Beacons humming before he saw the Locust approaching over the ridge. He looked around for cover but there was none in sight. Lancer at the ready he faced them. Then came gunfire from behind him. One after another the Locust troops fell till only their corpses remained. Elijah turned to see Michael, Evan and Butch flanked by the King Raven's crew.

"There's no way we are letting you do this alone." Evan announced.

"You won't be able to make it out of the attack radius if you come with me much further."

"It's a miracle they haven't swarmed us in force already but it's only a matter of time and you won't stand a chance without help. So you'll have to make due with us." Butch added with a chuckle.

"Thank you." Elijah said, his voice faultering."All of you."

Together they set out again and found themselves only meters from the target when the Locust found them in force.

"This is it people. It's been an honour meeting all of you. And … "Elijah was cut short by the gunfire.

They scattered. They were near the heart of the sinkhole and there was rubble everywhere providing sufficient cover bringing with it further hopes of success. Drones and Grenadiers charged in by the dozens. The Pilots lacked both the combat and weapons experience of the Gears but they did what they could firing mercilessly at the charging Locust. Bullets fired in both directions but the Gears and Pilots had cover on their side. Somehow the Locust knew what was at stake and where throwing themselves into the fray without hesitation. Corpses piled high and the Gears ammunition drew scarcer. Elijah picked targets firing in controlled bursts. Then came the first explosions. The Boomers emerged into his field of vision and he concentrated his fire.

"Boomers!"

"We have Grinders on this side!".

Yells sounded over the whirring before the guns unleashed their fury. There was a cry of pain and Elijah turned to see one of the pilots had been hit. He turned from the wounded man and resumed firing. It ate at his conscience leaving the pilot to his agony but they would all be dead in minutes anyway.

Elijah's Lancer ran dry again so he loaded his last magazine. He fired in bursts again between breaks in the Locusts onslaught. Another cry sounded this time even more pained that before.

"Watch out!" Called the pained voice of one of the King Ravens gunners.

Elijah spun to see a Grenadier ready to fire at him. He ducked to the side as the Gnasher fired. Its blast tore a chunk out of the slab he had been behind. He revved his chainsaw as swung out. It tore across its stomach spilling blood and gore over its feet. It fell to its knees and Elijah swung again this time separating its head from its shoulders, blood sprayed over his chest, and he turned back to the fray. He managed several more bursts before his Lancer fired its last round.

"How long?" He called.

"Few more minutes. Then the targeting sequence will begin" Called back a voice.

Elijah pulled his Snub and let loose again. He loaded mag after mag till again he was on his last. He looked up after reloading to see a boot collide with his shoulder. A Bolter dropped on him, its Boltok at the ready and it fired. Elijah threw himself aside feeling the bullet tear through the side of his helmet narrowly missing his ear. He swung his arm up a moment later slamming the barrel of his Snub into its knee with a crunch. It fell aside clutching it's shattered knee and Elijah forced the barrel of its own Boltok into its mouth and fired. The shot was muffled but its power was not obliterating the Locust's skull. Elijah stood with a pistol in each hand. He pushed the Snub onto its holster and fired the Boltok at another Locust. The kick was immense by comparison to his Snub making him understand the High Commands orders not to use the Locust's weaponry. But he was desperate. Again and again he fired till all the cylinders were empty and he dropped it in exchange for his Snub. He glanced around and saw that only Butch one pilot and himself remained standing. Several fired from a seated position obviously struggling with wounds but the others were still. He didn't dare consider who among the already dead were his fellow Gears or the pilots here because of him.

A beep sounded behind Elijah as his Snub ran dry. He might not have seen one before but he assumed that it meant their plan had almost reached completion. He pulled his Lancer and revved it one last time. He thought again of his Mother and his Sister, his Brother and of course he thought of Daniel. He tore through the closest Locust before moving to the next. One after another he sawed through Drones and and their variants leaving only destruction in his wake. He saw the faint red lines through the Inked sky. They closed in on him heralding destruction. But he wasn't done yet. His vision went red with fury. Vengence. Then he stopped and turned to the Beacon. It's not what Daniel would have wanted. Honour. Courage. Loyalty. He ran back to the others. They saw it in his eyes. They assembled among the fallen righting them into comfortable positions and took a moment to think of their loved ones. Then they sat among them smiling and laughing at the Locust as they made a final push. Then they felt nothing.

_Epilogue._

Jonathan stood among his fellow recruits and looked up at their Commander. Their Graduation from Basic Training had come. He thought of his brother. He had Graduated from this very camp almost three years to the day earlier. He had gone on to be an amazing Gear. When news of his death had made it to Jonathan and the rest of his family they had been devastated. But when they learned of the circumstance they felt a surge of pride. Jonathan hadn't hesitated when the recruitment officers came to their door. He was ready for them ready to uphold his brother's memory. Elijah had saved an uncountable number of lives. Jonathan swore he would do him proud, do his family proud and do the Coalition proud to the best of his abilities.

"Begin" Came the order.

"I will remain vigilant and unyielding in pursuit of the enemies of the Coalition.

I will defend and uphold the order of life as proclaimed by the Allfathers of the Coalition in the Octus Ganon.

I will forsake the life I had before so I may perform my duty as long as I am needed.

Steadfast.

I will keep my place in the machine and acknowledge my place in the Coalition.

I am a Gear."


End file.
